Unloading attachment for hopper bottom railroad cars



June 1, 1937.

E. N. JEANNERETTE 2,082,291-

UNLOADING ATTACHMENT FOR HOPPER BOTTOM RAILROAD CARS Filed Aug. 24, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor J1me 1937 E. N. JEANNERETTE A 2,082,291

UNLOADING ATTACHMENT FOR HOPPER BOTTOM RAILROAD CARS Filed Aug. 24, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I n venlor Jun 1, 1937. E. N. JEANNERETTE UNLOADING ATTACHMENT FOR HOPPER BOTTOM RAILROAD CARS Filed .Aug. 24, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor III/[III II/I/I/Il/I/I/VII/I/II w a III III/I IIIII/IIIIYI/I/I/II I III/ A llbmey Patented June 1, 1937 UNITED STATES UNLOADING. ATTACHIHENT FOR HOPPER BOTTOM RAILROAD CARS Edward N. Jeannerette, Rome, Ga. Application August 24,1935, Serial No. 37,732

2 Claims. (01, 105-257) V This invention relates to improvements in hopper bottom railroad cars of the type used for transporting coal, rocks, slags, etc., and similar material.

More particularly the invention consists of means for facilitating the unloading of such cars.

Briefly, the invention consists in the provision of a device in the form of an attachment for such type of railroad cars which will serve not only to facilitate unloading of hopper-bottom railroad cars, but which will also serve as wear plates for the bottom of the car, thus tending to extend the usefulness of the car and to reduce replacement of the bottom plates of the cars as the result of wear, rust and the like, to a material extent.

The invention, together with its objects and advantages, will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating the application of the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the'line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an angular plate forming part of the invention.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, it will be seen that 5 indicates generally a conventional type of hopper bottom railroad car usually provided for transporting coal and the like. The car is equipped with the usual chute extension 6 provided in the bottom there of and hinged doors 1 gr closing the chute.

The present invention consists in the provision of plates 8 arranged in pairs within the car at the respective opposite ends of the car. The plates 8 are hingedly mounted in the bottom of the car as at 9 and are of angular construction to provide a part adapted to rest flatly on the upper portion of the inclined bottom section of the car, and additional portions 8a that extend upwardly along the inner side of the vertical end wall of the car as best shown in Figure 2.

' At their free edges the parts 8a of the plates the chute 6 ofthe car. when used for'this are formed with integral apertured lugs 10. Thus it will be seen that the plates 8 serve as false bottom sections for the upper portion of the inclined car bottom plates and also as wear plates for the bottom and end walls of the car. In addition the plates 8 will serve to force the coal accumulating in the ends of the car toward the center of the car to discharge through purpose the plates 8 are swung from the full line position shown in Figure 2 to the dotted line position'shown in said figure. The movement of the plates to the dotted line position obviously forces the coal towards and through the chute 6 provided in the bottom of the car. Any suitable means may' be provided for swinging the plates 8 to dislodge the coal. For connecting the plates 8 with a suitable source of power, there are provided cables -II which are trained over rollers I2 suitably mounted at the respective opposite ends of the car, and at one end the cables II are provided with hooksl3 that engage the apertured lugs ID to connect the cable with. the

plates 8. Obviously the cable I I may be suitably 15 wound on a power operated drum or winch and a winding of the cables or the winch will serve to swing the plates 8 for effecting a forcing of the coal from the opposite ends of the car body to and through the chute 6. It will be further apparent that the plates 8 may be operated simultaneously or selectively andindividually as may be found desirable. The utility of an invention of this character will be appreciated from the following: As is well known in railway coal cars of the hopper bottom type, and even in other types of such cars, the coal at the respective opposite ends of the car box tends to freeze or otherwise more or less congeal into heavy masses which will not flow easily so that upon dumping of tlre'car relatively large masses of the coal remain within the respective opposite ends of the car. To loosen and free this coal it is necessary to hammer on the walls of the car andof course when the mass loosens the coal then rolls to the bottom of the car where it is subsequently forced through the opening in said bottom. This congealing or freezing of the coal results from numerous causes, the main cause being the loading of the coal While wet or damp or the coal becoming damp in transit and then drying out before it is removed from the car. Thus it will be seen that the plates 8 of the present invention are advantageously located, or in other words are located where the great mass of coal in the respective ends of the car tends to pack or congeal. Thus to loosen these masses, incidental to the dumping or emptying of the car, all that is necessary is, through the medium of the means herein set out in detail, to cause the plates 8 to swing to the dotted line position shown so that the coal is thus loosened and directed toward the chute 6 of the car box. by use of 20 bottom wall section,

wallsioi the car is obviated. Such is desirable from the tact that from constant'striking thereof the walls of the car are distorted and where portions or the walls have deteriorated by rust, this striking oiten results in completely rupturing the rust aflected areas oi! the walls.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:-

l. In a railroad hopper car having outlet means in the bottom thereof, bottom wall sections sloping from respective opposite ends of the hopper body to saidcutlet means and vertical end wall sections rising from the upper ends 01 the inclined bottom wall sections, combination wear 15 and discharge plates mounted in the hopper body, each of said plates including a flat end portion adapted to rest on the upper portion 0! an inclined bottom wall section of the hopper and hinged at its lower edge to said inclined and a vertical end portion adapted to normally lie against the adjacent vertical end wall of the hopmr @13 d means connected with said plates for swinging the latter about their hinges as and for the purpose specified. I

a 2. In a railroad hopper car having outlet means in the bottom thereof, bottom wall sections sloping from respective opposite ends oi! the hopper body to said outlet means and vertical end wall sections rising from the upper ends of the inclined bottom wall sections, combination wear and discharge plates mounted in the hopper body, each of said plates including a flat end portion adapted to rest on the upper portion of an inclined bottom wall section of the hopper and hinged at its lower edge to said inclined bottom wall section, and a vertical end portion,

adapted to normally lie against the adjacent vertical end wall of the hopper body, and mechanism for swinging said plates about their respective hinges including cables and inter-engaging means on the'cables and on the plates for detachably connecting the cables with the plates.

N. JEANNERETIE. 

